Former President George W. Bush to headline series

Jenna Bush Hager, Leon Panetta, Lara Logan and the photographer Platon will also be featured speakers at the Sarasota 2014 Town Hall Lecture Series.

By Susan Rife

Former President George W. Bush will headline the Ringling College Library Association Town Hall Lecture Series in 2014.

He is among five speakers in the series, announced to patrons today at the final lecture of the 2013 season.

Bush was visiting a Sarasota elementary school on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

"Attendees will hear from our president about the shattering experiences of that day, our nation's immediate response to terrorism and the lasting impact of 9/11 on our world," said Jay Logan, chairman of the 2014 series.

President Bush has been high on the Town Hall series' wish list since he left office.

"Having George W. Bush is an incredible honor," said Logan. "Having Laura Bush a couple of years ago helped quite a bit."

On Jan. 13, Bush's daughter Jenna Bush Hager will be the featured speaker at the Town Hall series' platinum dinner event. She is chair of UNICEF's Next Generation, an initiative dedicated to reducing the number of preventable childhood deaths around the world.

President Bush will speak on Jan. 14, discussing his eight years in the White House. His memoir, "Decision Points," was published in 2010.

On Jan. 28, the renowned photographer Platon will discuss his "visual interviews" with world leaders, celebrities, and people from all walks of life. His book "Power" is a series of large-scale photo essays about world leaders of our time.

War correspondent Lara Logan will speak on Feb. 10. A native of South Africa, she has reported from Afghanistan and Iraq before joining CBS News. In 2011, she was assaulted by crowds in Cairo while covering the Egyptian rebellion.

On March 6, Army veteran and author Wes Moore will discuss how support systems and decision making impact lives. He wrote "The Other Wes Moore," the story of another man who shared his name and upbringing, but is now serving a life sentence on murder charges.

Former U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will speak on March 20. Panetta's public service career has included being Secretary of Defense and director of the Central Intelligence Agency under President Barack Obama. He is co-founder of the Panetta Institute for Public Policy.

The series has developed a reputation around the country for offering engaged audiences, said Logan.

"We have a series that everybody loves to be involved with," said Logan, the first male chairman of the series since its inception 33 years ago. "Our speakers, these incredible people, tend to talk to each other. (Former Secretary of State) Condoleezza Rice (a speaker in 2010) helped us a great deal in getting (former U.K. Prime Minister) Tony Blair (in 2011). We couldn't get Tony Blair to speak; we weren't getting any traction. Condoleezza Rice came, enjoyed it so much, described for us how well the series is run. The same is true with Walter Isaacson (2013) and Doris Kearns Goodwin who had joined us on an earlier series. Our speakers talk us up; that's a tremendous advantage."

Each speaker delivers two lectures at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. The Town Hall Series is open to RCLA members only. For subscription information, call 925-1343 or visit www.rclassociation.org.

Town Hall's speaker series has given or pledged more than $8 million to support the Verman Kimbrough Memorial Library at the Ringling College of Art and Design and for student scholarships for more than three decades.